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Wi da W i J ne 4, 1940- N. v. CHRISTENSEN FILLED BAG CLOSING UNIT Original Filed April 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Flt; I.

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WITNESSES: I INVENTOR:

iYorman VChrisZ/emen,

BY ATTORNEYS.

June 4, 1940. N. v. CHRISTENSEN 21,472

FILLED BAG CLOSING UNIT Original Filed April 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I wlfi INVE ZNTOR.- hforman [[L'hnsienszzg BY v ATTORNEYS.

Reissuecl June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES FILLED BAG CLOSING UNIT Norman V. Christensen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original No. 2,156,526, dated May 2, 1939, Serial No. 138,589, April 23, 1937.

Application for reissue May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,278

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a machine or unit for closing filled bags or sacks and the like, and especially to a self-contained mobile unit for this purpose, that is preferably suspended so that it can be pulled about and raised and lowered at will by an operator. Such freedom of movement of the unit allows it to be conveniently used to fasten shut the mouths of filled bags stand-.

ing on a floor. I have illustrated and explained 0 my novel unit as including a sewing machine for stitching the bag mouths, this being a'preferr ed method of fastening them shut. Various features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a species or form of embodiment, and from the drawings. All the features shown or described are of my invention, so far as novel over the prior art.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a side view of a suspended unit conveniently embodying my invenf tion.

Fig. II is a plan view of the unit with certain accessories omitted.

Fig. III is a. plan view of a thread stand, il-

, lustrating its attachment to the unit.

Fig. IV is a plan View of a guiding and manipulating handle.

As shown in Figs. I and II, the bag-closing unit comprises a fastening mechanism In, such as any suitable type of sewing machine, and a bracket I I secured thereto, and carrying an (electric) motor I2 for driving the machine III. The unit is shown as suspended by a flexible cable I3 passing over a pulley sheave I4 and connected to a counterweight l5, so that the whole unit can be readily moved or adjusted up and down by the operator. The flexible cable I3 also allows the unit to be easily shifted horizontally to bring its sewing head I6, needle(s) I1, presser-foot l8, and arm I9 into proper relation to the superposed edges of a sack-mouth 20, and moved along the mouth to sew it shut. The needle I1 is shown in Fig. I as extending horizontally, while the arm I8 and the sewing machine drive shaft 2| extend vertically, or substantially so. The pulley sheave I4 is shown mounted in a swivel-bracket 22, which may be suspended in any suitable way from the ceiling,or from a supporting carriage on an overhead track (not shown), if such mobility of the unit is desired. As shown in Figs. I and II, the cable I3 is attached to the bracket being suitably secured in an upstanding hollo-w boss or sleeve 23 on said bracket. A threadstand 25 is shown in. Figs. I and III as clamped on the upper end of the boss 23; it carries two cops of sewing thread 26 for the machine I0, and gallows-like guides 21 for the thread.

As shown in Figs. I and II, the usual base 30 of the machine I0 abuts against a vertical face of the bracket II and is secured thereto by a bolt 3|. The motor I2 is movably mounted on a. horizontal face of the bracket II, with its: driving shaft 32 (substantially) horizontal, and so as to swing horizontally relative to the bracket. The motor I2 is shown attached to a base plate 33 which is pivoted on the horizontal bracket face by a bolt 34 (substantially) parallel with the machine shaft 2I. One end of the motor shaft 32 carries a (grooved) driving pulley 35 that is connectible by a quarter-turn belt 36, to a (grooved) driven pulley 31 on the upper end of the machine shaft 2|. The shaft 2| is also provided with a brake drum 38, here shown. as formed by a plain face of the pulley 31 beside its belt groove. It will be seen that as the motor I2 swings one way or the other about its pivot 34, the belt 36 is tightened so as to drive the machine III, or relaxed and loosened to leave it idle.

For the purpose of applying and releasing the braking means on the drum 38, and of swinging the motor l2 to operatively connect it to drive the machine It and to disconnect it, by tightening and relaxing the belt 36, there is shown a vertical rock shaft 40, (substantially) parallel with the machine shaft 2|, and mounted to turn in suitable bearings 4|, 4| carried by arms 42, 42 on the bracket The braking means here shown consists of a brake-shoe or face 43 on an arm 44 fast to the upper end of the shaft 40, above its upper bearing 4|. For swinging the motor I2, the shaft 40 has an arm 45 that is connected by a (turnbuckle) link-rod 46 to an arm 41 on the motor, here shown as formed by a projecting portion of the plate 33. For convenient manual operation of the shaft 40, a handle or member 48 may be attached to its lower end.

Just above this member 48, there is a. bearing bracket 49 for the shaft 40, attached to the (cylindrical) machine arm. I9, and provided with a handle 50 for manipulating the unit in, use. The handle 50 can be conveniently grasped by an operator, who can press the member 48 toward it with the same hand, thereby releasing the brake 43 and swinging the motor I2 counterclockwise (Fig. II) to tighten the belt 36 and drive the machine In from the motor. Provision is preferably made for automatically setting the brake 43 and operatively disconnecting the motor I2 whenever the operator releases the shaft 40 by relaxing his pressure on the part 48. For this purpose, there is shown a helical torsion spring 55 around the shaft 40, above the lower bracket arm 42, with one end attached to said arm 42 and. the other end attached to a. collar 56 fast on said shaft. This spring 55 continually urges shaft 40, brakearm 44, and motor I2 in a clockwise direction (Fig. II).

In using the unit, the operator manipulates it and shifts it about horizontally or up or down by means of the handle 50. When he is ready to close a bag mouth, he has only to press the member 48 toward the handle 50, as already explained, and to move and guide the machine l0 along the bag mouth by the handle 50. The position of the parts 48, 50 makes all this easy without the operators changing his own position, or his hold on the handle 50. Besides braking and stopping the machine I, the brake means 43, 44 serves as a stop to limit the belt-relaxing or loosening swing of the motor I2, so as to avoid throwing the belt off the pulleys 35, 31.

Although reference has been made herein to a preferred embodiment 'of the invention in which the driving motor of the unit is arranged with its drive shaft horizontal, and in which a belt is employed for operatively connecting it to the fastening mechanism, yet it will be understood that the invention is not entirely confined or limited to either of these particulars, nor to various other specific details illustrated and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, a motor mounted on said bracket for movement in a horizontal plane relative thereto, and having a substantially horizontal shaft, and a belt interconnecting the motor and fastening-machine shafts so as to be tightened to drive the machine, and relaxed to leave it idle, by movements of the motor horizontally relative to the bracket. i

2. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, a motor mountedl onsaid bracket for movement in a horizontal plane relative thereto, and having a substantially horizontal shaft, a belt interconnecting the motor and fastening-machine shafts so as to be tightened to drive the machine, and relaxed to leave it idle, by movements of the motor horizontally relative to the bracket, brake means for stopping the machine, and means for swinging the motor and thereby relaxing the belt when the brake is applied, and vice-versa.

3. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like,

comprising a bracket; a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical; a motor movably mounted on said bracket with its shaft substantially horizontal, and swingable relative to the bracket in a horizontal plane; and a belt interconnecting the motor and fastening-machine shafts so as to be tightened to drive the machine, and relaxed to leave it idle, by the horizontal swinging of the motor relative to the bracket aforesaid.

4. A flexibly suspended, freelyv movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, a motor mounted on, said bracket for movement relative thereto, a belt interconnecting the motor and fastening-machine shafts so as to be tightened to drive the machine, and relaxed to leave it idle, by movements of the motor relative to the bracket, a substantially vertical shaft and brake means for stopping the machine operated thereby, and. means operated by movement of said shaft to swing the motor and relax the belt when the brake is applied,and vice versa.

5. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket with bearing arms, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, said shaft having thereon a pulley and a brake drum, a motor having a substantially horizontal pulleyequipped shaft and pivotally mounted on said bracket to swing about an axis substantially parallel to said machine shaft, a belt interconnecting said motor and machine shaft pulleys so as to be tightened to drive the machine, and relaxed to leave it idle, by swinging movements of the motor relative to the bracket, brake means for said brake drum, a substantially vertical, manually operable shaft mounted to turn in said bearing arms of said bracket and operatively connected to said motor and brake means to release the brake and swing the motor to tighten the belt when the shaft is turned one way by an operator,

and means for automatically applying the brake and swinging the motor to relax the belt when the shaft is released by the operator.

6. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, and a motor for driving said fastening-machine drive shaft mounted on said bracket for swinging movement relative to the machine in a horizontal plane, about a vertical axis and operatively connectible to drive said machine by such swinging movement, and means for swinging said motor to connect the same as aforesaid, and vice versa.

7. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, a motor for driving said fastening-machine drive shaft mounted on. said bracket for swinging movement relative to the machine in a horizontal plane, about a vertical axis, and operatively connectible to drive said machine by such swinging movement, brake means for stopping the machine, means for applying said brake means, and means for swinging the motor and thereby operatively disconnecting it from said machine when the brake is applied by the means aforesaid, and vice versa.

8. A flexibly suspended, freely movable outfit l for closing the mouths of filled sacks and the like, comprising a bracket, a fastening-machine mounted on said bracket with its driving shaft substantially vertical, a motor for driving said fastening-machine drive shaft mounted on saidv said machine, and vice versa, comprising a member adjacent said handle operable by the operators hand that is holding the said handle.

NORMAN V. CHRIS'IENSEN. 

